Coaxial cable has an inner conductor which is inside a cylindrical outer conductor. Both of the conductors are made of metal, and the outer conductor operates to carry the electrical signals on its interior wall surface while shielding those signals from any external interference. A dielectric insulator separates the two conductors, keeping the inner conductor in a coaxial relation to the outer conductor and maintaining both the electrical insulation between and the mechanical spacing of the two conductors. The dielectric material may be a solid continuous member, or individual separate rings spaced longitudinally along the length of the cable.
To connect two sections of coax cable it is necessary to have a two-part connector, each of whose parts is permanently attached to one end of a section of the coax cable. Since coax cables are usually very small their connectors are also quite small. Working in confined spaces, an electrician needs a good hand tool to assist in assembling (inserting or attaching) or detaching (removing or disassembling) the various connector parts. Presently standard tools have a shank which locks into a driving handle with a quarter-turn twist. That kind of mechanism works for either inserting or removing a connector part, but not for both, because the rotating drive is effective in only one direction.
One standard connector for coax cables is known as a BNC connector. Developed in the late 1940's as a miniature version of a type C connector, BNC stands for Bayonet Neill Concelman and is named after Amphenol engineer Carl Concelman. The BNC product line features two bayonet lugs on the female connector member, and mating is achieved with only a quarter turn of the coupling nut. Another standard connector for coax cables is known as an F connector. Both mating parts of the connector have hexagonal surfaces which engage to provide support for rotating drive. For either type connector it is necessary to drivingly force a longitudinal movement of the part being attached or removed, as well as providing a rotating drive.
Applicant's prior U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/175,466 entitled OPTIMAL SELECTABLE FORCE IMPACT TOOL filed Jul. 5, 2005, shows a punch-down tool for which the downward or longitudinal driving force can be conveniently adjusted. The present invention is accomplished by modifying Applicant's punch-down tool, and also providing a modification of each of the BNC and F type insertion/removal tools.